


Inpotem | Harry Potter

by fatecanberewritten



Series: Stars [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Book 5: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Book 6: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Book 7: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, F/M, Marauders, Marauders' Era
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-29
Updated: 2018-01-10
Packaged: 2018-12-08 15:40:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 10,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11649624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fatecanberewritten/pseuds/fatecanberewritten
Summary: "The spell - what does it do?""You wouldn't believe me if I told you."( marauders era )( hp order of the phoenix - deathly hallows )





	1. aperito

**Author's Note:**

> This story is currently being edited. The story is now a part of a series, and because of this, the direction of the story has slightly changed. Some chapters will only have minor edits, while others will have major ones. Currently, chapters one through six are the only ones that have been edited.

       Her breathing was rapid, shaky as she took in her surroundings, her grip tightening on her son’s hand as she slowly recognized the narrow, dark hallways. She hasn’t been here in years - and never would she have thought that the most ancient house of Black was now hosting the Order of the Phoenix. “You’ll be safe here, Miss,” muttered the house elf to her right.

       She smiled down at the creature, thankful for the bittersweet connection to an old friend he provided. “Thank you - for everything, Kreacher.” No one, the house elf’s current master especially, would ever see a smile quite like the one Kreacher gave the woman then. He led the pair down the narrow hallway to a closed door, and motioned for them to enter as he scurried up the stairs.

       Alone in the hallway with no one but her young son, the woman listened to the distressed murmurs beyond the door she stood in front of. She closed her eyes and listened closely, wondering if she’d hear his voice, hoping she’d still recognize it. Inhaling deeply, she pushed open the doors.

       She didn’t quite know what to expect, but dozens of wands pointed at her and her son was not at all on that list. _“Merlin -_ put your wands away! She has a _child!”_ came a motherly voice that she did not recognize, but as she looked around, she was thankful to find faces that she did.

       “My god, it can’t be - ”

       But despite her attempts to find him, the one face she was so desperate to see was nowhere to be found. She looked into the grey eyes of the one person in the room with his wand still at the ready. “Where is he?”

       Sirius Black, with a sudden pang in his heart at her words, lowered his wand, ignoring the stares he was getting from his fellow Order members. Her eyes were the same he remembered so clearly, but the woman before him was nothing like the girl that left him, and as he watched her, he couldn’t believe his eyes.

       He quickly walked around the cramped dining room table, bumping a stunned Molly Weasley as he did so. He stopped only when the small, tan boy beside the woman cowered more behind her, her arm instinctively wrapping around him. “Where is he, Sirius?” she said again, her voice becoming more and more desperate, causing Sirius to wonder even more just what happened to her in the time they’ve been apart. “Where is my brother?”

       There was a hush about the room, and Sirius briefly closed his eyes, feeling as though a boulder had just dropped on his chest. The boy seemed to be just as confused as the others, and as he looked up to the woman, he squeezed her hand. “Mum, what’s going on?”

       Sirius took another, cautious step forward, his features much softer, almost hurt, as he approached them. “This is your son?” he asked the woman slowly.

       She noticed the look on his face, and her own features softened - but ultimately, she wasn’t sorry, and she wasn’t going to deny it. “Yes,” she uttered, “now where is my brother?”

       Sirius’ shoulders slumped as he wearily, shakily responded, “I don’t know if you want your son to hear this, Thea.”

       A dreadful feeling overcame her, and it felt as though she was being pulled underwater by haunting, soulless hands. She could hear only muffled noises as her son was guided away by a pale, but kindly-looking red-haired woman, and she was pulled out of the room by a man she thought she would never see again. Before the doors closed, she caught sight of her scared little boy, and gave him a gentle smile. “It’s okay, Reg,” she assured softly. “We’re safe - Mummy will be right back.”

       Sirius tensed at her words for a number of reasons, but decided now was not the time to ask questions. He didn’t know where she had been all this time, or what she knew - but he knew that it wasn’t much.

       She turned back to a face she once knew so well, and noticed just how it had changed. Sirius had apparently seen the worst of a war Althea had escaped. “Sirius,” she whispered. She closed her eyes and reminded herself why she was here in the first place. “Where’s James?” she paused, the silence and the blank stare she was receiving nearly unbearable. “Where is my brother?”

       “Brother?” came a voice, and though it sounded close, Althea found no one when she looked around. Sirius grimaced. “James Potter was your brother?”


	2. repundium

       There was not a doubt in anyone’s mind when it came to the house placement of Althea Potter. Her family knew where she would be from the moment she begged to be put into a Muggle school before attending Hogwarts at the age of seven. Her parents were extremely off-put by her desire, but after a lot of convincing and reasoning that went beyond that of a seven year old, she was permitted to attend her local Muggle primary school. She had a talent and a love for learning, and it was no surprise that the second the Sorting Hat touched her head at eleven years old, it called out, “Ravenclaw!”

       No one knew this was bound to happen more than her brother.

        “Thea, here, should already be wearing Ravenclaw blue,” a twelve year old James Potter said confidently in a crowded train compartment, mid-morning of September first, 1972. Althea sat awkwardly beside her brother, slightly uncomfortable that she was stuck in a compartment with all of her brother’s friends.

       “Not going to be in Gryffindor like her dear older brother?” smirked a boy that sat directly across from James. Althea knew who he was, of course: the famous Sirius Black, the first of the entire blood-purist Black family to not be sorted into Slytherin. And there, beside him was the youngest of the Black clan, the one who the entire school was anxious to see sorted.

       “Nah, she’s too much of a coward to be in Gryffindor,” James said playfully, side-eyeing his sister to see her reaction, which was given as if on cue. The older Potter grinned and threw an arm around Althea’s shoulders, squeezing her as he said, “You know I’m kidding, Thea! You’re just too smart to be in Gryffindor. I mean,” he turned to his friends, “she reads  _ textbooks  _ for  _ fun.” _

       “Only the spell-work ones,” Althea responded defensively.

       “Doesn’t exactly help your case,” James laughed.

       “Well, it’s good to know Hogwarts is getting a scholar this year,” intervened a scarred boy that James had introduced as Remus. The lanky boy rested his elbows on his knees and grinned over at Althea, as if he knew that her brother’s words were getting to her. He looked back to James, and smirked. “We all know it didn’t get one last year.”

       “Remus, how could you insult Evans like that?” James responded lightheartedly, launching himself and his three friends into a topic that did not interest Althea in the slightest. She looked down to the book in her lap - a Muggle book her best friend had gotten her before she left for Hogwarts - but found as much interest in it as she did in her brother’s conversation. Sighing, she readjusted and aimlessly looked around the train compartment. 

      Only one other was not contributing to the immature conversation taking place in the compartment, and as Althea looked upon the young, nervous Black, she felt a need to talk to him. “What house do you think you’ll be sorted into?” she asked him, hoping her brother and his friends would not hear - or care. She was wrong.

       The compartment quieted as the young Black looked up at the young Potter, and it seemed that everyone else followed suit. 

      “Well, Reg,” said Sirius Black, as if he, too, was curious. “She asked you a question.”

       That question was answered several hours later, after minutes of the Sorting Hat resting on his head. Althea was among the many first years yet to be sorted, and Sirius was seated at the Gryffindor table with James, Remus, and Peter, looking hopeful as the Hat contemplated his brother’s sorting. His hopeful look faded slightly as the Hat finally called out, “Slytherin!” but nonetheless, Sirius Black stood and applauded his brother despite the looks he received from his fellow Gryffindors. 

       Althea knew that Slytherins did not often associate with other houses. She also knew that she came from a family that proudly considered themselves to be Blood Traitors, and that the Black family, aside from Sirius, were known Blood Purists. But she still felt some sort of connection to Regulus Black, some sort of need to talk to him that she knew many would not approve of. So, despite the friends she made in her own house, Althea sat next to the boy in Potions and Charms, and an odd sort of friendship brewed between the two of them. 

       By December, they were inseparable.

       But that only seemed to be when they were alone. Outwardly, Althea Potter and Regulus Black appeared to be strangers. Each had found themselves in groups of people they considered to be friends, but they both only played minor roles in these groups, as they knew they would both have each other in the end. 

       From the first week of school, Althea had befriended a Muggleborn girl that shared a dorm with her, named Morgan Minow. The two became increasingly close, and through Morgan, Althea met Muggleborn Dirk Cresswell, who was also a Ravenclaw in their year. The three finished out their first year together, though Althea would often disappear to meet with Regulus, which gave Dirk and Morgan more of an opportunity to bond. Second year transfiguration class invited a pureblood Hufflepuff named Heidi Woods into their group, and while Althea considered all three of them to be her friends, she continued to play only a minor part in this group. There would be times in which Heidi wondered why Althea was always so distant, but she would be assured by Dirk and Morgan that it was just who Althea was. Come third year, the four spent most of their weekends in Hogsmeade, and there, they befriended two boys from James’ year - Benji Fenwick, a Ravenclaw, and Anthony Possolo, a Hufflepuff. They were a  group that blended well together, and though Althea often felt like an outsider among them, she still considered each and every one of them to be her friend.

       Regulus often told Althea that his group of friends were very similar to hers, but each time she came across them, she doubted what her best friend had told her. They were all purebloods, and not ones like her or Heidi, but purebloods who constantly sought out and targeted Muggleborns. Dirk and Morgan, two of Althea’s closest friends beside Regulus, had been the victims of their prejudice actions on more than one occasion, which caused Althea to question Regulus about his friends. Regulus always poorly reassured her that his friends meant no harm, and though she greatly doubted his judgement, Althea did nothing, trusting her best friend. 

       The Slytherin gang was led by Beau Selwyn, a Slytherin Prefect three years older than Althea and Regulus, a boy who commanded some sort of sinister respect that quieted every other pureblood in his house. There wasn’t a doubt in anyone’s mind that by the next year, Selwyn’s last at Hogwarts, he would become Head Boy, something that set fear in the bones of every Muggleborn in the castle. Selwyn didn’t pursue any attacks himself, at least not anymore, but there were rumors circulating around the castle that he taught borderline-dark-magic spells in the Slytherin common room and told his peers to use them on Muggleborns. Just below him in the hierarchy of this group were Gibbon and Rowle, two large Slytherins that were two years older than Althea and Regulus, who used the strength they had gained from being beaters on the Slytherin Quidditch team, as well as their magical skill set, to torture first year Muggleborns. Regulus was closest in the group to Rosier and Mulciber, Slytherins that were in James’ year. These two were known for their harassment of Muggleborns and the hexing of Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs. Under the eye of Selwyn, however, they never seemed to get in trouble. Althea was almost certain that they had never spent a moment in detention, which, of course, made James and Sirius beyond angry.  Barty Crouch Jr., son of an extremely respectable ministry official, appeared to be completely out of sorts in this group, but after one overheard conversation, Althea knew that he admired You-Know-Who just as much as the rest of his friends.

       Althea did her best to avoid the Slytherin Seven, thinking that if she just ignored the people Regulus wished to associate himself with, she could just pretend that her best friend was only the person he was when he was around her. This way she could make excuses for Regulus. She could make excuses for herself, too.

       The same couldn’t be said for Sirius.

       Althea witnessed the whole thing, one sunny Friday afternoon, when the final, thin thread holding the Black brothers together finally broke. It was nearing the end of spring term Althea’s third year, and she sat in the courtyard with Dirk and Heidi as Anthony helped them study for their Astronomy final. James had followed Evans and another Gryffindor girl out into that same courtyard, and only steps behind him walked Sirius, Peter, and Remus.

       “Potterette,” Sirius greeted, causing Althea to roll her eyes. Sirius had come up with the nickname her first year, and perhaps because it annoyed her beyond belief, Sirius practically refused to call her anything else. 

       “Hi Sirius,” responded Heidi, her voice at least an octave higher than normal. Heidi’s crush on the eldest Black was not a secret to anyone, nor was not uncommon. Sirius Black, the brave, good-looking Gryffindor, had practically every girl at Hogwarts in the palm of his hand. Both Heidi and Morgan seemed to always get giddy around him, but he paid very little attention to them, as he did with most girls. The only girl he seemed to talk to on a regular basis was Althea - and that was because he saw her as a little sister. 

       Sirius nodded to Heidi, then turned his attention back to Althea, glancing over her shoulder at her textbook. “Astronomy?” he asked. “You know, if you ever need help, I’m exceptionally good in that subject.”

       Althea scoffed. “I’ll definitely take you up on that! But only after Peeves and the giant squid suddenly disappear.” Sirius, sensing her obvious sarcasm, narrowed his gray eyes at her.

       Remus was chuckling behind him, patting Sirius’ shoulder. “Ah, Sirius, don’t be too upset. Thea’s in good hands here with Possolo. Besides, you hate tutoring people.”

       Sirius, still with a slight glare, looked over to Anthony and nodded to him. “Hey Possolo.”

       Sirius was still hovering over her shoulder when Althea noticed four of the Slytherin Seven making their way into the courtyard - Rosier and Mulciber leading the pack as Regulus and Crouch followed along in their shadow. Althea and Regulus met eyes for a second, but Althea quickly looked away, suddenly nervous as she glanced over at Dirk. He was no stranger to the Seven’s prejudice as a Muggleborn, and Althea knew that he grew tense every time he saw them, but today the Slytherins’ attention was elsewhere.

       Althea watched anxiously as Mulciber hit Lily Evans with a stinging hex, and James, his face red with anger, whipped his wand out in the direction of the Slytherins. In a matter of seconds, Sirius, Remus and Peter were at his side, prepared to either stop their friend from doing something that he’d regret, or to help him. Althea felt her breath catch in her throat as she feared for the safety of not only her brother, but her best friend, who stood directly beside James’ target. 

       “Wouldn’t want to do something we’d regret,” came a deep, smooth voice from the shadow of the neighboring corridor, “would we, Potter?”

       James hesitantly lowered his wand as Beau Selwyn stepped into the courtyard. Everyone was stunned to silence. Everyone except, of course, Sirius Black.

       “Are you going to do something, Prefect?” Sirius barked, angrily motioning to Mulciber.

       Selwyn tilted his head slightly and smirked. “If you’re suggesting I take points from Gryffindor on behalf of your friend, I’d be glad to.”

       Sirius clenched his jaw, and despite seeing Remus shaking his head to him, he continued. “Are you going to admit you saw Mulciber hex Evans, or are you gonna turn a bloody blind eye for the millionth time?”

       “No idea what you’re talking about, Black,” he turned to the four Slytherins. “Did any of you see anything of the sort?”

       “Should we say something?” Heidi whispered to Althea then, but Althea gave no answer as she watched each of the Slytherins, Regulus included, shake their heads, confirming that they saw or did nothing.

       “Reg?” Sirius started, horrified that his little brother was a part of this. Althea watched as Regulus looked her way for a brief second before holding the gaze of his brother. 

       Selwyn began chuckling, and Mulciber, Rosier and Crouch quickly joined in. “Guess compulsive liar is another thing we can add to the list, eh, Regulus?”

       Sirius’ brow wrinkled as he looked between Selwyn and his brother, though Regulus looked to his best friend behind him apologetically, as if a side of him he didn’t want her to see was about to be revealed. “What?” questioned Sirius.

       “Go on and tell him, Regulus, tell him what he is,” egged on Selwyn, but he was met with nothing but silence from the young Black. Regulus refused to break Sirius’ gaze, hoping that it would come across that this was the last thing he ever wanted to do. “Tell him what you really think of him.”

       Regulus did not speak, not until Mulciber nudged him forward. He did not want to do this, not at all, not when Sirius was looking at him as if he had just torn his heart out and stomped on it. But at this point, he didn’t have a choice. The more he told himself that, the easier it was. “You,” he started slowly, staring unblinkingly into his brother’s gray eyes. “You are a vile, worthless Mudblood-lover.”

       Everyone aside from his Slytherin friends were shocked beyond belief at Regulus’ words. Althea dropped her gaze to her lap, and tightly closed her eyes. Nothing good could come from this. That was the only thing she was certain of at that point. 

       “You are no brother of mine.”

       Regulus dropped to the ground, unconscious, as James hit him with a stunning spell.


	3. apscessus

       “Was?”

       Althea Potter was heartbroken by a single word, and though that word was spoken by someone she couldn’t see, she couldn’t tear her teary eyes away from Sirius. Tears clouded his own eyes as Sirius frantically looked around for his godson. _“Accio cloak,”_ he muttered, feeling the material sliding into his grip.

       Startled, Althea looked over to the stairs, where three figures suddenly appeared. Her knees gave out as a strangled cry escaped her lips, and if it hadn’t been for Sirius’ quick reflexes, Althea would have been a sobbing heap on the ground, because there stood a boy who looked almost exactly like her brother, all except for his eyes - he had his mother’s eyes, as she would soon find out.

       “Harry - upstairs!” Sirius called shakily, doing his best to hold Althea - who had nearly gone limp - upright.

       Harry Potter did not move an inch, bravely standing his ground, despite Hermione pulling at his sleeve as she and Ron followed his godfather’s demands, scurrying up the stairs. “Sirius, who _is - ”_

 _“NOW!”_ Sirius barked in a voice that rivaled his mother’s (who, speak of the devil, had awoken in her portrait and began wailing about blood-traitors and Mudbloods disgracing and defiling her most ancient house of Black). Harry again didn’t move until Remus, alerted by the noise, began to guide him up the stairs, forcing the curtains of Walburga Black’s portrait shut along the way. With little difficulty, Sirius helped Althea over to a couch, where he sat with her as she cried, being reminded of a dark time of their youth. “Thea, listen to me - ”

       “He’s dead, isn’t he?” Althea interrupted, looking up at Sirius through her tears. Sirius didn’t answer, but he didn’t have to. Althea knew - she knew from the moment she didn’t hear his boisterous voice calling across the table at his friends; from the moment she didn’t see his warm hazel eyes beaming at her among the Order members; from the moment she saw her nephew she knew that her brother was dead. “How long?” she croaked.

       Sirius paused, looking into her eyes, and for a moment, only seeing James’. “Fourteen years.”

       Althea felt as though a wave had washed over her, leaving her without feeling in any part of her body. Her vision tunneled suddenly, and though all she could see at the end of it was Sirius’ worried face, she couldn’t get the image of her brother out of her mind. He was happiest, the last time she saw him - only a month past eighteen, only seven since he finally got Lily Evans to go out with him - and she was there, in Althea’s memory, her fingers interlocked with James’, the reason the smile that adorned James’ face was so bright. That was eighteen years ago. “And - ” she choked, “ - his son?”

       “Harry turned fifteen not long ago,” Sirius explained with a hoarse voice, watching guiltily as another wave of sorrow hit Althea.

       “He - he didn’t - ?” she questioned, and with a shake of Sirius’ head, she let out another strangled cry. “H-has he been with his mother all this time?”

       Another shadow passed over Sirius’ face. “Lily died the same night James did,” he whispered.

       “L-Lily?” she echoed.

       There was a silence that followed, and from the silence of the couch the two sat at, Althea could hear her son laughing in the kitchen, as well as a muffled yelling coming from the floor above them. Moments later, a badly scarred Remus Lupin stumbled down the stairs, pausing as he was caught in Althea’s gaze.

       Sirius’ voice was close when he spoke next. “Where have you been all this time, Thea?” he whispered to her.

       Reality fell upon her quickly as she stood, wiping her face dry of tears. “I need to talk to my nephew,” she demanded, looking between her brother’s best friends. “Then I need to talk to the Order.”


	4. gloria

       From that day forward, the Black brothers did not speak.

       It took Althea a while to warm up to this idea. Regulus was her friend, her best friend, and he always would be, but now that he was hated by both of their brothers, another level of complication was added into the mix of their friendship. From that day on, their friendship was even more secretive, but that somehow only drew them closer together. The two became so close, that Althea finally had the courage to admit a life-long ambition of hers.

       Althea had always been interested in spells, ever since she saw her father produce sparks from his wand when she was young, but it wasn’t until she had begun at Hogwarts that she had a desire to make her own. The thought alone was ambitious, but ultimately harmless - except for the fact that she didn’t want to create the next  _ lumos  _ or  _ wingardium leviosa.  _ She wanted to create very serious spells. Spells that could change the world. 

       “I don’t know about this, Thea,” a fourteen year old Regulus Black whispered to his best friend. The two of them were in the library only minutes before curfew, searching in the restricted section for something, though Regulus had no clue what.

Althea smirked from atop a library ladder when she finally found the book she was looking for. She looked down at her friend, and held out the magical theory book. “If we’re gonna make our own spells,” she said cockily, “we gotta do it right.”

       From the moment Althea had told Regulus, he was hooked on the idea. He wanted to be a part of the process of making a spell in anyway he could, and it was at that moment that Althea had known she had found the right person to tell.

       “Think of it, Reg,” she excitedly conversed as the two walked out of the library. “We could make spells that could change the world as we known it. I mean, can you even _imagine - ”_

       “Thea?” the two heard from a distance away. When they turned and found James, standing dumbfounded at the end of the corridor, Regulus said a quick goodbye to his friend, and hastened away, leaving Althea to her brother. She smiled at Regulus, then turned to her brother, stone-faced. By that time, he was already within speaking distance. “What were you doing with  _ Regulus Black?” _

       “And why do  _ you  _ need to know?” she retorted, beginning to walk in the direction of the Ravenclaw common room, clutching Adalbert Waffling’s  _ Fundamental Laws of Magic  _ to her chest.

       “You’re not - ” he stuttered, “ - you’re not  _ seeing  _ him, are you?”

       “No, I am not  _ seeing  _ him!” Althea interjected. “God, James, do I accuse you of dating every girl you talk to?”

       “My,” spoke a new voice, one the two of them both easily recognized, causing them to stop in their tracks, turning to see Sirius Black approaching them. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen the Potters fight,” he commented with a smug smirk that made Althea want to punch him. “I’m assuming Potterette was caught snogging some guy Jamesy didn’t approve of?”

       Instead of punching him, Althea rolled her eyes, then sucked in a breath, knowing Sirius was about the only one who could get through to ‘protective-big-brother-James’. She faced the Gryffindor with clenched teeth. “Would you please tell my brother that a boy and girl can be friends without snogging?”

       Sirius laughed in a condescending, yet conformational way, causing James to cock in eyebrow in victory, though Sirius hadn’t technically said anything on the subject. “I’m curious now - who’s the guy?”

       James and Althea exchanged glances, both knowing very well the kind of relationship the Black brothers had. “Benjy,” Althea quickly lied. James made no sign of protest at her lie, because while James was weary of his sister’s relationship with Regulus, he knew that if Sirius found out, his sister would be dead to his best friend.

       “Fenwick?” Sirius responded with a bit of surprise in his voice. He grimaced, crossing his arms over his chest and shaking his head a bit. “I don’t know, Thea. Fenwick’s a bit of a player.”

       Althea scoffed at the irony of this situation. “This is coming from the guy whose goal it is to sleep with every girl in this school before he graduates!”

       Sirius took a step towards her, a challenging smirk across his lips. “You’re just jealous  _ you’re  _ not one of those girls.”

_        “Okay!”  _ That was when James awkwardly, yet protectively stepped back in, pushing Sirius away from his sister. “I know you’re joking, but seriously mate, that’s my little sister.”

       Sirius started laughing then. “You think I was hitting on her?” he was saying incredulously, but Althea didn’t care to stick around to hear the rest. She turned, and restarted her walk to the Ravenclaw tower, ignoring the bickering of the two fifth year Gryffindors behind her.

       “Where are you going?” James called after her once he realized she was not standing beside him.

       She held up her book without turning around. “Studying,” Althea called out lazily.

       There was a short silence before James responded with, “What are you doing reading  _ Fundamental Laws of Magic?” _

       Althea’s face reddened, having forgotten that  _ that  _ was the book in her arms. She turned to face them, continuing to walk backwards. “Again, none of your business.”

       When she turned the corner, Althea stopped, and attempted to gain control of her heartbeat. She tried to convince herself that she was reacting like this because she and Regulus had nearly been exposed, but that wasn’t the reason for the redness of her cheeks and the adrenaline pumping through her veins.

       She had Sirius Black to thank for that.


	5. inscius

       Sirius and Remus watched in silence as Althea cautiously made her way upstairs to meet her nephew. It was so odd for them; earlier that day, they had been plotting ways to recruit a village of goblins for the Order, and now, they were in the presence of a woman they had believed to be long dead, a woman who could change just about everything.

       “Are you sure we can trust her?” Remus whispered to his friend when he believed the woman to be out of earshot.

Sirius felt a heaviness in his chest before he answered. “I’ve never been sure of that, but I don’t know if we have a choice. She’s the last family he has.”

       Althea was in a haze as she navigated the second level of 12 Grimmauld Place, not being able to shake the image of her brother from her mind.  _ He’s dead,  _ she reminded herself with shaky hands.  _ He’s dead. _

       She stopped at the door Sirius had told her about, but as she stared at the dark wood, she couldn’t bring herself to knock. She had missed his entire life. She should have been there the day her nephew was born; the first time he had shown magical ability; when he got his Hogwarts letter -  _ god _ , she should have been at her brother’s  _ wedding.  _ Why hadn’t she been there for them?

       With closed eyes and a deep breath, she knocked on the door.

       “Sirius -  _ finally  _ \- who - ?” came a desperate, youthful voice, but that changed the moment his eyes set on Althea instead of the expected Sirius. “You,” said Harry Potter.

       Althea couldn’t get over just how much he looked like James, everything from his messy hair that stood up in the back the way James’ did, to his thin face that mirrored even her own. Finally, she smiled to him. “Hi,” she breathed. “I’m sure you’d like some questions answered.”

       Harry was staring at her just as much as she had been staring at him, but at her words, he nodded, though still hesitant, and turned to his room, only to come face to face with Hermione and half of the Weasley kids, who all sat in silent shock.

       “I didn’t realize you had company,” Althea muttered awkwardly, shooting a smile at the kids as she shrunk away from them. “I can come back later, if you’d like - ”

       “No, wait,” Harry said quickly, stopping her from walking away. He turned to his friends. “Guys - could you - ?” With little hesitation, Fred and George apparated with a  _ crack _ , and a moment later, Hermione grabbed both Ginny and Ron by the arm, and towed them out of the room with a polite but awkward smile at a woman she had just seen break down moments ago.

       There was a silence in which the Potters carefully avoided eye contact, listening to the distant bickering of Ron and Hermione. “You’re - ” Harry started suddenly, causing Althea to jump. “You’re really my - aunt?”

       Althea looked at the boy sadly, not being able to begin to imagine what he’s gone through. She unhooked a rusting gold chain and pulled a small locket from around her neck, holding it out to Harry. “Your father got me this for Christmas when I was ten,” she answered in almost a whisper, placing one of her most prized possessions in the hands of her nephew. It was then that Harry beckoned her into the room, and the two sat side by side on his bed. The locket still in his hands, Harry looked to this strange woman, who nodded to him, telling him to open it.

       Harry was surprised to see, on the left, a photo of two children, the boy looking very much like him when he was young. Beside him, smiling and waving up at Harry, was a six-year-old version of the woman that sat beside him now, her dirty blonde hair in two braids cascading down her shoulders. On the right was a photo of an older couple that Harry had only seen one other time before, in a mirror when he was eleven.

       “It was his first year at Hogwarts,” Althea continued, a bittersweet smile on her conflicted face. “He’d had such a good time that when it came around to the holidays, he hadn’t wanted to come back home. I was so upset, I sent him a howler without telling Mum and Dad.” She chuckled here, and it was then that Harry knew without a doubt that she was telling the truth. Althea smiled, though tears were forming in her eyes, and looked to her nephew. “James and I were really close, and when I told him how much I missed him when he was in school, he didn’t take it lightly. It was only a couple months before I would join him at Hogwarts, but he got me this locket so he and our parents would be with me wherever I went, whenever I needed them. I never took it off.”

       “Can’t have been  _ that  _ close,” Harry said bitterly, without breaking eye contact.

       For a moment, she didn’t dare break eye contact with the boy, suddenly realizing she couldn’t even  _ pretend  _ to know him. She turned away, wiping away a tear as she admitted she had no one to blame but herself for that. “I-I know I wasn’t there for you - ”

       “What’s your excuse?” Harry cut in with the same bitterness, mixed with true curiosity. This woman was a mystery, and he couldn’t deny that he was interested. “Can’t be better than being locked away in Azkaban.”

       She went to explain herself, but stopped short, looking up at her nephew again. “ _ Azkaban?  _ Who was in Azkaban?”

       Harry looked at her incredulously for a moment. “Sirius was. You didn’t know that?”

       Althea’s face paled.  _ Sirius had been in prison. Why had Sirius been in prison?  _ “Sirius didn’t  _ raise  _ you?”

       Harry laughed at that, but there was no humor in it. “I was left with a family of Muggles who took better care of the dirt on the soles of their shoes than they did of me. Thought they were the only family I had left. Guess I was wrong about that.”

       “I - I - ” she stuttered, not being able to find the right words. 

       “Did you know?” Harry questioned now, the bitterness he had only moments ago vanished. Althea looked at her nephew and saw for the first time a boy who seemed hurt beyond belief, a boy who wanted nothing more than a family that cared about him. “Did you leave me to suffer there, without even thinking of taking me in like your brother would have wanted you to?”

       Tears were running freely down her face now, and Harry began to wonder if he had crossed a line. “Harry - I didn’t even know you existed before tonight.”

       His eyes widened, nearly to the size of Dobby’s as he took in her words.  _ How is that even possible?  _ He was  _ Harry Potter,  _ possibly the most famous young wizard alive, yet his own aunt didn’t know he existed (to be fair, he hadn’t known  _ she  _ existed until tonight, either). He pushed his falling hair out of his face, not knowing what else to do in his state of shock.

       Althea was watching him carefully, wishing she knew how to make this easier on him, but she didn’t. How could anything make this situation easier? As he brushed his hair away from his forehead, Althea glimpsed a large, jagged scar that greatly resembled a lightning bolt. “Oh, Harry,” she cooed in a motherly tone that Harry had only heard from Mrs. Weasley. He didn’t know why, but Harry allowed his aunt to push his hair away from his scar and look at it fully.  _ She didn’t know I existed. Does she know -  _ “What happened?” she continued, causing Harry’s stomach to drop. “Who gave you that scar?”


	6. cepit oblivio

       Hogwarts had always been a safe place for its students, a place in which children could forget the struggles of the world outside its walls and be students. That began to change in 1975.

       Outside the castle walls, a dark wizard known to the wizarding community most commonly as You-Know-Who, was quickly rising to power. Every year, after Hogwarts graduation, it seemed as though the graduating students had to make a choice: to join the terror of the Dark Lord, to oppose it, or to ignore it completely.  But now, they didn’t have the freedom to wait.

       It started with the Slytherins, as it was practically a given that they would follow in the footsteps of their family and friends, and join the Dark Lord. Many of the students saw it as an honor to be a part of something when they were so young, some of the older, more talented ones even receiving the Dark Lord’s mark. Among those few was the soon-to-be-graduated Head Boy, Beau Selwyn. It was just a matter of time before the rest of the Slytherin Seven followed him.

       “I think Professor Flitwick’s considering making me a Prefect.”

       Regulus Black sighed at his broken train of thought, and looked up at his best friend. The two of them sat in a shady spot along the shoreline of the Black lake, taking breaks between studying to look over advanced charm books, hoping to find something that would help create some ease in their spell-making process, which had eaten up practically all of their free time. Regulus watched Althea Potter, her nose still stuck in a book as she spoke to him. Most would find this rude, as a conversation between friends deserved attention, but Regulus was very use to it.

       “What makes you think that?” he finally responded.

       “Oh, I don’t know,” Althea breathed as she flipped a page in her book. “He’s been calling on me more than usual in Charms, and even referred a couple of first years to me for schoolwork advice. Anthony said that his Head of House did something very similar before making him a Prefect. It’s like they’re testing you.”

       Regulus didn’t answer for a minute. He watched the too-calm water in front of him, and tried not to let himself be angry at how simple her problems seemed. Here he was, knowing that in a month’s time he would be meeting the most dangerous wizard of their time to confirm that he would be joining him, while all the while, Althea was wondering if she’d be getting a Prefect badge in her Hogwarts letter this next summer. She was oblivious, and that angered Regulus.

       “Everything okay, Reg?” Regulus looked over and found that Althea had closed her book, and for the first time in a while, given her full attention to her best friend.

       Regulus swallowed and readjusted his position on the fallen log the two sat on, facing Althea. Immediately, Althea knew something was, indeed, wrong, and she was about to find out what it was. “Thea,” he started shakily, hesitantly. He had no idea where he would stand after this conversation - where _she_ would stand. “Where do you see yourself? After Hogwarts, I mean?”

       Althea pursed her lips, not expecting something like that. “Well, research, I guess. Hopefully, I can get a Ministry grant to continue experimenting with different spells - see where that - ”

       “No,” Regulus interrupted, catching Althea off guard. “No, Thea, that’s not what I meant.”

       Althea was frozen, a large crease between her brows as she tried to understand what Regulus was talking about. She was, indeed, oblivious.

       “You know what’s happening out there, right, Thea?”

       Her silence was enough to make Regulus regret asking at all. He knew, however, that there was no turning back now.

       “Which side of the war do you see yourself on?”

       Althea’s breath caught in her throat when Regulus asked her this. Her hands shaky, she removed the textbook from her lap, and nervously played with the hem of her skirt, all the while looking everywhere but Regulus. “I guess I’ve never thought about it,” she said, her voice almost quieter than a whisper.

       “You’ve never thought about it?” started Regulus, sounding almost angry with her. “It’s a _war,_ Thea, how’ve you never thought about it?”

       “Regulus, we’re fourteen!” she exasperated, beginning to become extremely concerned. A dark thought crossed her mind. “Please tell me you haven’t made your decision already.”

       The two of them glanced down to Regulus’s left forearm, which was discreetly covered with the sleeve of his robe. He held it with his other hand. “Not officially.”

       Althea swallowed, becoming extremely anxious. She knew that if he had made his decision, there was nothing she could do to change his mind. “Promise me,” she whispered. “ _Promise_ me you won’t make your decision yet.”

       “As long as you do the same.”


	7. proditor

       Althea wasn’t sure how long it was that she sat there with her nephew, listening, petrified as Harry told her all that had happened to him. It shocked her -  _ of course  _ it shocked her to find out that her nephew was Voldemort’s number one target, just as it shocked her to know that he had gone up against the dark wizard  _ four  _ different times, the first one being when he was hardly a year old, somehow ending a war Althea thought was still going on. She wasn’t surprised that Voldemort was back, but she was horrified that Harry had been there to  _ witness  _ it. But what struck her the most in all of Harry’s story was how alone he had been throughout it all, how alone he still felt. She wanted to change that immediately.

       “Harry, if it’s alright, I’d like you to meet someone.”

       Hesitantly, Harry agreed, and moments later, the two walked together downstairs to the dining room. She felt as though she was young again; as though the boy beside her was not her nephew but her brother; as though the muffled voices they heard were that of her parents instead of the Order; as though the only thing she had to fear was how she was going to keep in contact with her friends while at Hogwarts; as though there wasn’t a war right outside their door. She took a deep breath in to calm herself, which only caused Harry to look at her worriedly. She sent him a reassuring smile, and pushed open the door.

       “Mum!” Regulus exclaimed with a bright smile, running into his mother’s arms as if it was the first time he had seen her in years. Althea suddenly felt terrible for leaving him for as long as she did with so many strangers in a world he had hardly been exposed to. But he had a smile on his face.

       She looked up to where her son had run to her, and found two women: the first being the red-haired woman who held a striking resemblance to a number of the children that had been in Harry’s room; the second being a proud woman whose hair was oddly shrinking from that of long blonde curls, to a short, bubblegum-pink bob. A Metamorphmagus, Althea assumed, though she had never met one before. She smiled at the pair of them, and mouthed a quick ‘thank-you’, to which they nodded.

       Beside them was a tall man with red hair, about the same age as the woman, and likely the father of the children in Harry’s room. He had the same kind face as his wife, and as he stood beside her, Althea marked them as a loving couple, likely having been together for a long time. On the other side to the room, eyeing Althea and Harry carefully, stood Remus Lupin and Sirius Black, a space between them where James should have been. She looked away.

       Althea let go of her son and turned to her nephew. “Harry, I’d like you to meet your cousin, Regulus.”

       Though Harry couldn’t miss the way Sirius flinched at the name, he smiled down at the small boy.  _ He had a family, a real family. _

       Regulus seemed to be just as excited, his face brightening in a way that Althea hadn’t seen in awhile. “I have a cousin?” he asked excitedly, looking up into Harry’s bright green eyes. “I’ve never had a cousin before!”

       Harry knelt down to his young cousin’s height, smiling shyly. “You do now,” he said to him. Everyone in the room was captivated by the scene in front of them, Molly Weasley nearly coming to tears at the smile on Harry’s face, knowing that there, in that moment, Harry was getting everything he had ever wanted: a family. 

       The feeling didn't last long.

      There were screams about the room, mainly from Regulus and Sirius, as Althea was thrown across the room like a rag doll, landing harshly in a kitchen chair. She found herself unable to move as dish rags took life and restrained her wrists and ankles. She watched as her little boy began to cry, Harry holding him back from her in shock. Wands were taken out and aimed at the figure in the doorway. Three words changed that immediately.

       “Scarring, left forearm.”

       Suddenly, everyone, the loving couple, the Metamorphmagus who had kept her son entertained, even the two best friends of her brother, had their wands aimed at her, looking at her as if she were Voldemort himself. Even Harry began to let go of her quietly crying son.

       In entered a man unlike any she had seen before, and though it took her a moment, she was able to place a name to the face: Alastor Moody, the famous Auror, his wild, magical eye so distinctly fixated on her. Behind him entered a tall, dark-skinned wizard Althea didn’t know, as well as a small balding man that had been a classmate of hers.

       “Check her,” said the second man.

       It was Remus, the man closest to her besides Sirius, who was too shocked to do anything, that pulled on her left shirt sleeve, revealing the one thing she wanted to forget more than anything else in the world. She couldn’t, of course; it was a part of her - had been since she was sixteen.

       “That’s not the Dark Mark,” said Harry, the relief evident in his voice. Tonks had been the first to lower her wand, and slowly, the others followed, until it was once again just Sirius with his wand at the ready, but with one confused look from Harry, he put it away.

       The awkwardness in the room seemed to intensify as Althea looked around the room at all the people who had been so welcoming to her only moments ago, yet had turned on her so quickly - in front of her son and nephew, on top of it all. The mood switched, however, as another figure entered the room.

       Althea looked up, her wrists still restrained to the chair, and found one of the most respectable and powerful wizard of their time: Albus Dumbledore. His blue, all-knowing eyes set on her immediately. “Ah, Miss Potter, I must say, I am surprised to see you,” he said, his voice dream-like as he practically floated over to her, his gaze traveling from the woman’s face, to her arm. “I am curious to know, however, what happened to your arm.”

       Everyone, Harry included, inched forward to see what they could of the woman’s scar. As hard as they attempted to catch a glance, she tried just as hard to hide the words carved into her arm, as she had tried to do for years. “The bad people did that to Mum,” Regulus spoke up, stealing the attention away from his mother. “The same ones that took Neela.”

A silence was sparked by Regulus’ words, everyone in the room looking at either the mother or the son, shocked, confused, or empathetic expressions on their faces. Althea caught Molly Weasley’s eye, and it seemed that she was the only one that knew what her son insinuated, the only one truly capable of understanding the greatest fear a mother could have.

Remus watched his best friend stare, heartbroken, at the woman they once knew, but he couldn’t exactly place the reason for his sorrow. Empathy? Jealousy? So it was for Sirius’ sake, not his own, that he spoke up. “Who’s Neela?”

Althea turned to look up at Remus, tears beginning to form in her eyes despite the straight face she kept as she tugged on her restraints. “Neela is my daughter,” she spoke with an even tone, turning to meet the gaze of Dumbledore, effortlessly forcing him out of her mind as he attempted invade it. “She’s the reason I’m here.”


	8. repertum

       “There has to be something in this one, wouldn’t you think?”

       Althea and Regulus sat together in the Black family library, the room oddly cold despite the fact that it was early July, one of the hottest day of the 1976 summer. Regulus claimed that despite the weather outside, the Black house was always cold, and it took only one visit for Althea to be convinced. 

       Hours had been spent searching through a library filled with the most sinister books Althea had ever seen. She didn’t think there was a single book in that room that didn’t have to do with either blood purity or dark magic, and with each passing minute, Althea was becoming more and more anxious. With books stacked on either side of her, Althea looked up at her friend and nodded. “You would think.”

       Regulus brought down  _ Magick Moste Evile  _ and brushed his fingertips over the dusty cover. He shivered slightly, remembering the night he and Sirius, as children, had played hide and seek in the house, ending when Sirius had found and scared Regulus in the library, resulting in a fair amount of books falling, including the book Regulus now held in his hands, which had screamed at him at the time. Six year old Regulus had had nightmares for weeks following that encounter, but as he thought back on it, he was envious of those times; of the times in which his greatest fear was a book; of the times in which his brother still spoke to him.

       He was torn out of his thoughts when Althea loudly groaned, slammed a book shut, and stomped over to the book shelves once more. Gently, Regulus set down  _ Magick Moste Evile  _ and stood beside his frustrated friend. “Everything okay?”

       Althea let out a breath and looked up to the ceiling. “We’ve been going at this for almost three weeks, Reg,” she told him, her voice defeated, “and we’ve gotten nowhere. I swear, we’ve gone through all of the books in this household at least twice - I’ve learned more about the history of blood purity that I ever wanted to, but I’ve found absolutely nothing.”

       “That’s not true,” Regulus reassured. “Last week - didn’t you find something?”

       Althea rolled her eyes. “I found the most unhelpful sentence I think I’ve ever come across, if that’s what you’re referring to.”

       “Well, what book was that in?”

       She crossed her arms, and nodded in the direction of Regulus’ stack of books.  _ “Magick Moste Evile.” _

       Althea hardly noticed, but as she nodded in the direction of the book,  _ Magick Moste Evile  _ flipped open as if by a gust of wind. Regulus watched this occurrence with wide eyes, as if he were seeing magic for the first time. He’s never seen anyone use wandless, unspoken magic before, and the last person he would expect to have mastered the skill was his fifteen year old best friend. “Thea,” Regulus began, amazement in his voice. At the confused look she presented him with, however, Regulus discovered something even more shocking - Althea had no idea.

       She walked purposefully over to the book that she hadn’t realized had been closed moments ago, and scanned over the page it was opened to. “Looks like you found it too, Reg,” she told him,  _ “‘Of the Horcrux, wickedest of magical inventions, we shall not speak nor give direction - ’” _

       “Why do you think that’s something?” Regulus questioned, lost as to why that stood out to Althea in the first place. 

       Althea shook her head again, sighing. “I’m not really sure. Something about it reminded me of that line from  _ Fundamental Laws of Magic.  _ It seems like it would be considered one of the deepest mysteries of magic like Waffling was talking about - I mean, a book entitled  _ Magick Moste Evile  _ has deemed it  _ too evil _ to write about - that’s gotta be  _ something,  _ right?”

      “I get where you’re coming from, Thea, but I just . . . ” Regulus’ voice began to drown out as Althea looked up at the tallest bookshelves in the room, her eyes finding, in the furthest corner, a single, dusty book that she and Regulus had not yet explored.

       “Reg?” she questioned, cutting him off.

       “Yeah?”

       She pointed up to the book. “Have we looked at that one yet?”

       The two stood for a moment, dumbfounded as they wondered how they could have possibly missed that in the three weeks they had been practically tearing the library apart. Althea pulled out her wand, and utter a summoning charm just moments before the two of them heard yelling from somewhere within the house. The blank-covered book in her hands, Althea curiously looked towards the closed door of the library. 

       “What’s going on?” she asked Regulus, staring at the door, past which she could hear a familiar voice, screaming and fighting with the voice of Regulus’ mother. She took a step towards the door.

       “Sirius must be home,” Regulus sighed. It struck Althea then that in the three straight weeks she had been coming to the Black household, she had never once run into Sirius. She ventured closer to the door. “Thea, that’s not a good idea.”

       Her curiosity outweighed Regulus’ caution, and she found herself turning the handle of the library door, and poking her head out into the narrow hallway.

       Almost just as she did, Sirius, adorning Muggle clothes, stumbled into her sight, dodging a hex of his mother’s. “Fuck you, too!” he yelled to her, slamming the door shut. In a single moment, the boy’s gray eyes, still filled with rage towards his mother, looked down the hall to meet Althea’s, and for that single moment, his rage faded, before it suddenly doubled. With clenched teeth, he swiped his wand at the girl, and she found herself being pushed back into the library, the door slamming in her face. 


	9. culpa

       After was felt like a lifetime or even more, Althea Potter found herself back in the Black family library. For the near-month she had spent in the Black household in her youth, she hadn’t ventured much further than that room, so while almost the entirety of the rest of the house was alien to her, she probably knew the library better than anyone. She still remembered every book on dark magic and blood purity that she had tediously and repeatedly searched through with her best friend, and as she stood in the large room with her arms crossed over her chest and her shoulder slumped, Althea stared at the desk Regulus Black had made his home in those few weeks, and she swore, she could almost hear the pages turning.

       “You’re still awake,” spoke a voice from the doorway, startling the woman. Althea turned her head and used a single hand to wipe away the tears that wet her cheeks, but otherwise did not move. She stared straight ahead at the dusty, floor-to-ceiling bookshelf, but did not protest as Sirius came and stood beside her.

       “Did you think I’d be able to sleep?” she responded quietly.

       “No,” Sirius answered timidly, his eyes not moving from the floor in front of their feet. “Where’s your son?”

       Althea breathed in deeply, her watery eyes darting around the room as the events of the past twenty-four hours replayed in her mind. “Molly made him a Sleeping Draught,” she spoke with a quick pace. “Should be out ‘til morning - hopefully dreamlessly.”

       Sirius finally brought himself to look at this obviously damaged woman, and regretfully took notice of her quivering jaw. “You should make one for yourself,” he suggested lightly.

       “Don’t think it’d work on me.” Althea gave herself a moment more in the past, before putting it forcefully behind her. She wiped away the newly formed tears and turned away from Sirius, walking towards the door. “Besides, I have work to do.”

       “Whoa, hey, Thea,” Sirius said, catching up to her and blocking her path. “Dumbledore has people looking for Neela. You need to rest right now - and be a mother instead of a warrior.”

       “My daughter is being held captive by Death Eaters,” the woman hissed. “Mother and warrior are interchangeable.”  

       Sirius cursed himself at his choice of words as she slipped past him. He knew of only one thing that would stop her, as much as he didn’t want to speak it. “But what about Regulus?”

       Althea stopped in the doorway of the Black family library, and as she looked back into the room, she saw, for only a moment, the silhouette of her best friend, standing beside his brother. “What?” she exasperated, her eyes not leaving the spot of the ghost.

       Sirius stepped forward, and finally connected their gaze. “Your son,” he explained, a broken look on his face that Althea took notice of for the first time. “You know you can’t abandon one child to save the other.”

       Althea chuckled slightly at that, but there was no humor in it. “And what d’you know about good parenting, hm?” She stepped forward and crossed her arms. “What makes you think you can give parenting advice?”

       “I know what not to do,” he responded, not missing a beat. “I know what a mother can do to push her child away.”

       She scoffed, shaking her head. “Sorry you had a bad childhood, Sirius, but I’m not your mother,” she answered him bitterly, stomping out of the room.

       Sirius stepped in the direction of her retreating figure, but ultimately didn’t follow the woman. He instead gave himself a few moments to calm himself down, knowing that nothing good ever came from the two of them arguing. Only a couple of seconds behind her, Sirius began his trek to the front door, as that was no doubt where she was going. He was shocked, however, when he found the door to the tapestry room wide open. If anything, he expected her to be longingly looking over his brother’s spot on the tapestry, but was once again surprised to see her fingertips brushing the charred remains of his own spot. He wondered if she ever knew for sure until that moment that Sirius was disowned.

       “My mother did that, you know,” he quietly informed her, leaning against the doorway.

       “I know,” responded Althea, removing her hand from the tapestry, as if now that Sirius was in the room, she was not allowed to touch it. “I was there.”

       The confusion was visible on Sirius’ face as he tried to recall that night. “You - you were in the library, weren’t you? With Regulus.”

       Althea nodded, curling her lips together and looking back at the tapestry. “You came up after a screaming match with your mother and slammed the door in my face.” Sirius grimaced slightly at that, but didn’t deny it. “It worried me, if I’m being honest. I asked Regulus about it, and he tried to assure me that it was completely ordinary. I remember hearing you walk past the door again a couple minutes later, and eventually heard the front door slam shut. I knew the kind of relationship you had with your family, but I don’t know, something about it seemed final. I went to follow you, and I stumbled upon your mother, in here,” she paused, and ran her fingertips over the charred material once again, “doing this.”

       “Really?” Sirius questioned as he stepped further into the room, his tone slightly harsh. “You were here, with my brother, the night I finally ran away?”

       The way he emphasized  _ with my brother  _ quite literally set her teeth on edge, so much so that she nearly growled, “Yes, despite how you feel about your brother,  _ I  _ was his friend.”

       “Was?” he nearly yelled. “Explain this to me, Thea, ‘cause I really want to know - how is it that you came here knowing that  _ my  _ brother was dead, but not your own?”

       Althea’s mouth fell open at that as a tear escaped and rolled down her cheek. Her momentary silence had Sirius believing that maybe he had overstepped himself. “You know what,” she started with a broken voice, “the only reason I even came here in the first place was for James’ help. I can’t have his, and I really don’t want yours.”

       Their voices were both raised to volumes not suitable for the time of night, but they weren’t going to be lowered anytime soon. “So you’re just going to take on Voldemort and his army all by yourself then? Oh, I’m sorry, with the help of your six year old, untrained son.”

       “I just might!” she yelled, turning to face him, as she had nearly walked out of the room and away from him. “You have no idea what I’m capable, Black.”

       Beyond frustrated at thought of her walking out on him for the second time in his life, Sirius gave up on trying to repress what’s been on his mind from the moment he set eyes on her earlier that night. “God damn it, Thea, where have you been?” he exploded.

       Althea froze at that, halfway out the door of the drawing room. Slowly, she turned to a stranger she had once known so, so well, and noticed that his entire body was shaking, and that the look on his face was not anger, but deeply rooted pain.

       His next words were soft, but broken all the same. “It’s been eighteen years.”

       His grey eyes never left her hazel ones as he moved closer and closer to her, though she stood frozen in the doorway.

       “For eighteen years, no one knew if you were even alive,” Sirius continued softly. “You weren’t here for the height of the war; you weren’t here for the end of it; you weren’t here for James when he needed you the most; you weren’t here when Harry needed you, and you weren’t here when I - “

       “Don’t think you can put the sole responsibility of Harry growing up in a borderline abusive household on me,” she cut him off. “You knew about Harry. I would be shocked if James didn’t make you his godfather, so why, when you knew what your responsibilities were, did you get yourself a cell in Azkaban?”

       It was Sirius’ turn to be speechless. “You - ” he started - “You really don’t know?” Silence and a shake of her head was hardly a good enough answer for him, but he continued anyway. “Lily had just gotten pregnant with Harry when He started hunting them down.” Cautiously, Althea uncrossed her arms and stood rigidly straight, know she was about to hear how her brother died. “He was starting to close in on them when Dumbledore suggested the Fidelius Charm. James wanted me to be the Secret-Keeper, but like the idiot I was, I thought the move was too obvious, and convinced them of it. Last minute, without telling even Dumbledore, Lily and James made Peter their Secret-Keeper, and he gave them up to Voldemort. I was the only one that knew the truth, so the second I heard the news I went after Pettigrew, and when I confronted him, he framed me for the mass-murder of twelve Muggles and himself, and he got away. I was in Azkaban for twelve years for that before I escaped. I know you probably don’t believe a word of that, though, I know you thought highly of Peter.”

       “Oh, I believe you,”  Althea answered, to Sirius’ surprise. He looked up at her, but could not meet her eyes, nor understand the distant look they held. “I hope the rat rots in hell.”

       As Althea left the room, luckily in the direction of her son, Sirius was frozen in his confusion. As far as he knew, Althea had never known about Peter’s Animagus.


End file.
